Breech-loading ordnance.



No. 797,237. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.v 77. R. SMITH. BREEGH LOADING ORDNANGB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12,1905.

MH, 36 I zh/QA' M 04m/J- IJW. @7

EETTEE sTETEs PATENT OEETOE.

WILLIAM R. SMITH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. BnEEcH-LoADiNe OHDNANGE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented'Aug. 15, 1905.

Appucasou med May 1'2, 19ers. serial No. 260,127.

other material remaining in the gun after the.

discharge. 'i

The object of this invention is to provide a gun or other piece of ordnance with means for admitting fluid under pressure, such admission being effected by the initial pressure of the ex plosion in the tiring-chamber through either the recoil of the gun or the direct pressure of the explosion. In attaining this object of the invention I preferably employ electrical connections for the direct operation of the iluid-pressure-controlling valve, the electric circuit being established upon such explosion in the firing-chamber.l

Another object of this inventlon is to provide means for automatically forcing a charge of lubricant into the firing-chamber along with the compressed air.

Another object is to provide means for automatically increasing. the pressure in the compressed-air reservoir by the explosion effected by the discharge inthe firing-chamber, the expansive effect of said explosion acting upon the charge of compressed air in the reservoir to increase its density.

To these ends my. invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

i' ',Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of a well-known type of eight-inch breechloading rie having my improvements applied thereto, said gure representing also a .longitudinal section of a reservoir for compressed a-ir or other fluid, said figure representing also the connections hereinafter described, and illustrating one embodiment of my invention for attaining the objects above mentioned.

Fig. 2 represents a detail elevation of a portion of a Hotchkiss recoil-gun,

said ligure representing modifications hereinafter described.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in both figures.

The body of the gun, which may be of any type, is represented at 10. In Fig. 1 the breech-plate 11, breech-plug 12, mushroom- -head 13, and its stem 14 are illustrated as of a common type. The bore of the gun is represented at 15 and the firing-chamber at 16.

Through the Walls of the body of the gunA are formed openings 17, preferably inclined, as shown, forthe saine purpose as in my application iiled February 20, 1904, Serial No. 194,510, said openings being provided with suitable check valves 18 and connected at their outer ends to pipes 19, as also shown in my said application. Connections, preferably iexible, are represented at 20, said connections leading to the pipes 19 from a pipe 2l, having a balance valve or cock 22,

said pipe 21 leading y.from a reservoir 23 for compressed air or other suitable fluid under pressure. Hereinafter I shall refer to the reservoir 23 asa compressed-air reservoir; but it is'to be understood that, if desirable, some other duid than air may be employed.

The arm 24 of the valve 22 may be actuated by hand, so as to admit air from the reservoir' to the pipes 19 and through the openings 17 into the bore of the gun, said arrn being, however, connected by means of a link 29 with the lever 27, pivoted at 28 to a suitable support, said lever having at its other end an armature 26 of an electromagnet 25. The arm 24 may be actuated by hand to open the valve, either by grasping said arm and swinging it or by operating the lever 27 in a direction that would move the armature 26 toward the magnet. Usually, however, the

` valve 22 is to be automatically opened by mechanism actuated by the initial pressure of the explosion inthe firing-chamber of the gun.

The means which I have shown in Fig. 1 for performing this function comprises a plug 32, mounted to reciprocate slightly in a suitable opening leading through the wall of the gun from the ring-chamber, said plug having a head 33 snugly fitting in a slight recess in the wall of the firing-chamber 16. The

.plug 32 is shown as provided with a stop ngt or shoulder 34 in its outer end to lir'nit the inward movement of the plug 3 2to a point wherevthe inner face of the head 32 will not project beyond the wall of the tiring-chamber. A spring suitably secured to the gun and bearing at its outer end upon the outer end of ythe plug 32, normally holds the plug in the position shown in Fig. 1. A contact-stri p 36 overlaps the end of the spring 35 and is also mounted upon thegun, being supported thereon by an insulating-block 37.

The spring 35 and contact 36 are connected with the magnet 25 by suitable wiring. As shown in Fig. 1, the wire connects one pole of the magnet with the contact 36, and the wire `v/.connects the other pole of the magnet with the spring 35, a battery or other source ofelectricity being shown at 30, located in the connection y.4 The connections y', hereinafter described more fully in detail, lead Y from the connection y, a switch 3l being employed, s o as to cut out the connections y' when desired. When the connections y are cut out, the switch 31 will be in the position indicated by full lines; but when the circuit is to include the connections y' the switch 31 will be moved to the dotted lines. f

Assuming that the switch is in the position position indicated by indicatedby full lines, the operation will be as follows'zvThe air-reservoir 23 having been charged through a suit-able connection 42 by means of any air-,compressor (not shown) andthe gun being loaded and fired, the initial 'pressure in the firing-chamber .acting on the head 33 of. the plug 32 forces lthe spring 35 outward, so as to contact with the terminal `36, and thus establish a circuit through the battery '30 and the magnet 25, immediately attracting the armature 26 and openingthe valve 22fand admitting compressed air to the pipes 19, from `which the air-will fiow through the openings-17l past the check-valves, thereby preventing any .Hare-back, cleaning out *the bore lof the gun and cooling it. When the-supply of air. has been continued. long enough, the valve 22 may be closed by hand, because irnmediately'after thel pressureV is reli'evedi inthe firing-chamber the spring 35` separates from the contact 36 andbreaks the l circuit, thereby releasing the armatureso as to permit the closing ofthe valve. 4.

As hereinbefore stated,` onex of the objects of this invention is to'provide means for increasing thel pressure inthe lair-reservoir at the instant of the'discharge inthegun. l ,One

embodiment of this feature of.my invention comprises a movable-partition 38, similar to,

' a piston, located'in the air-reservoir23, s aicly partition havinga guidefste'm 39 leading e hr'ugh 'the stuiing`-boxv40. To limit the. movement of the', partition or abutment 38 to 'ward the left when the air is being compressed 1 into the airrreservoir through the connection.,A "42, th'e said reservoir maybe provided or "formed with an annular shoulder 41.A The parl' ticular objeetrof limiting the movement of the prtition'for abutment 38 'is to'provide a-space Y for a suitable explosive cartridge 45, so that said cartridge will not be injured by pressure against it ofl the partition 38. To introduce this cartridge 45 into the chamber or space provided for it, l have illustrated a holder 44 externally screw-threaded and fitting athreaded opening inthe end of the reservoir, said.

' cuit is established through the cartridge and the wires 46 the cartridge will `be exploded, the force of the explosion acting 4upon the partition or abutment 38 and forcibly and suddenly' increasing the pressure of the air in the other portion of the reservoir. 'In order that the `products of combustion due to the explosion of the cartridge 45 may be allowed to escape after the gunhas been firedand when'the air is being compressed into the reservoir 23; I may provide a suitable cock, as indicated at 43, which cock can be opened by hand and then closed after the partition 38 has beenfo'rced to the shoulder 41 by the operation of the air-compressor (not shown) forcing air into the reservoir through the connection 42. v

In order that the electric connections with the wire 46 may be readily separated to permit of the unscrewing and return of the cartridge-holder 44, the connections y are shown as having terminal plugs 47, removably fitting suitable socketsin the holder 44, which sockets connect with the wires 46.

. It will now be understood thai'l if the switch 31 is in the ppsition indicated by dotted lines when the electric circuit is completed at 35 36, as hereinbefore described, not only will the magnet 25 be caused to open the air-valve 22 to admit air" to the gun, but at the same timevthe cartridge 45- will be exploded, so as to suddenly increase the .pressure of the air in the reservoir and vin the connections to the bore of the gun, thereby rendering it unnecessary to preserve the' high pressure of air in the reservoir 23:'prior to thering of the gun.

One or more lubricant-chambers may be connected with the air-conduits in order to' introduce suitable material into the gun with the air to Aprevent corrosion'of the bore of the gun after the airhas passed' through. .In

` Fig.l 1 I haverepresented two lubricant-cham- Vbers 48, connected with one of the pipes 19,

the connection of'each chamber with said pipe being controlled by a hand-operated valve 49; Said cham bers may be'located at any suitable point in connection with th'eair-c'onduits. A lubricant, such Aas glycerin, is placed in the chamber 48, and just prior to each discharge of the gun the valve 49 Will be opened to permit some of the lubricant to .flow into pipe 19 or other conduit, after which the valve 49 will be closed. Upon the discharge of the gun and the passage of air through the pipes or conduits, as .hereinbefore described, the air will take up the said lubricantv and spatter it along through the bore of the gun. rI`his lubrlcant may be of any composition which will form a film or coating to prevent oxidation. It is to be understood, however, that the lubril mount of a well-known type of Hotchkiss gun which I have selected for illustrating the feature ot' my invention which I shall now describe. The ways on which the gun recoils are indicated at 51. The contact 52 is carried by a suitable portion of the gun which travels along the Ways 51 when the gun recoils, said contact 52 being connected with a wire y of an electric circuit. Aspring-contact 53, secured at one end upon'an insulating-block 54. secured to the gun-mount, is connected with the wire of the electric circuit. In this embodiment of my invention when the. gun recoils upon the initial pressure of the explosion in the tiring-chamber the sliding contact 52 meets the spring-contact 53 and slides'alongr it, thereby completing the circuit and energizing the magnet 25, so' as to open the air-valve 22 in the same manner as has been described above in connection with F ig. l.

lt is to be understoodthat in the accompanying'drawings I have not attempted to show some of the parts or connections other than conventionally.

The number and location Therefore I do not limit myself to the details ot' construction illustrated and above described.

I claim as my invention 1. Agun having a liring-chamber and bore, a Huid-pressure reservoir and means operated by the initial pressure of an explosion in the firing-chamber for admitting fluid under pressure from the reservoir. to the firingchamber. f

2. Agun having a Bring-chamber and bore,

a iiuidpressure reservoir, connections between the reservoir and the firing-chamber, a valve controlling said connections and means operated. by the initial pressure of an explosion for opening said valve.

3. A gun having a firing-chamber and bore,

a duid-pressure reservoir, a conduit connecting the reservoir with the firing-chamber and means for introducing a lubricant into said conduit.

4. A gun having a tiring-chamber and a bore, a reservoir for Huid under pressure connected with the tiring-chamber and means operated by an explosion inthe firing-chamber for increasing the pressure in Asaid reservoir.

5. A breech-loading gun having an opening through its body into the bore independent of the breech-block, a source of compressed air connected with said opening, and means operated by the initial pressure of the tiring to Athe opening of the gun, and electrical bonnections adapted to be actuated by the initial.

pressure of an explosion of the firing charge in the gun to'open said valve.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature in presence of tw'o witnesses.

p WILLIAM R. SMITH.

Witnesses:

' NELSON S. HALLETT, IBA B. LrrrLEFIELD,A 

